Smart component-based management techniques in a substrate processing system

ABSTRACT

A method of component management in a substrate processing system is disclosed. The substrate processing system has a set of components, at least a plurality of components of the set of components being designated to be smart components, each component of the plurality of components having an intelligent component enhancement (ICE). The method includes querying the plurality of components to request their respective unique identification data from their respective ICEs. The method further includes receiving unique identification data from the plurality of components if any of the plurality of components responds to the querying. The method additionally includes flagging the first component for corrective action if a first component of the plurality of components fails to provide first component unique identification data when the first component identification data is expected.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates in general to smart components insubstrate processing systems and the use of smart components and smartcomponent-based management techniques for improving the installation,operation, and maintenance of substrate processing systems.

Substrate processing systems, such as plasma processing systems, wetchemical processing systems, chemical-mechanical polish (CMP) systems,and the like, have long been employed in the processing of substrates(e.g., semiconductor wafers, flat display panels, optics substrates,nano-machine substrates, and the like). As technology progresses,substrate processing systems (such as plasma processing systems) havebecome more costly to acquire and maintain. Part of the cost increasecan be attributed to the increased complexity of the substrateprocessing systems themselves. This is because as devices shrink andproduction pressure increases in an attempt to keep up with theever-increasing consumer demand for constantly improving electronicproducts, customers expect that the substrate processing systems becapable of carrying out highly demanding etch and deposition processes,as well as be capable of high throughput rates. As a result, modernsubstrate processing systems are increasingly characterized by highlysophisticated designs, exotic materials, and precisely tooled parts.

When a part needs to be installed, as a replacement part in accordancewith a predefined maintenance schedule, for example, manufacturers ofsubstrate processing systems often insist that the replacement part becertified. The certification process insures that the part meetsstringent engineering specifications, for example with respect to thecomposition of the part material and the dimensions of the part.

When a certified part is employed, the manufacturer of the substrateprocessing system can be reasonably certain that the substrateprocessing system has the intended configuration and conforms withexpected system specifications to run the required application (e.g.,the etch or deposition process). The use of certified parts benefitsboth the owner of the substrate processing systems, who enjoys areliable system that yields expected process results, and themanufacturer, who enjoys not having to repair substrate processingsystems that are broken due to inferior parts.

As in the case with most quality products, the certified parts tend tocost more than their inferior copies. For unscrupulous grey-marketoperators, the temptation to produce inferior copies of substrateprocessing system parts and to pass them off as “acceptable substitutes”is high since a substantial profit can be gained by making parts cheaplyand selling them into a high-dollar parts market. For owners of thesubstrate processing systems, the temptation to purchase and usenon-certified parts is high, since certified parts, being manufacturedwith great precision, tend to cost more in the short term. In thesecases, both the owners and the manufacturers suffer.

The owner, despite saving some money in the short term, invariablysuffers from unreliable system performance and a frequently interruptedproduction schedule due to equipment failures. The manufacturer suffersfrom having to support and repair a greater number of broken systems,and possibly from being unjustly branded as a producer of unreliablesubstrate processing equipment.

There are other issues with respect to the installation, operation andmaintenance of parts. In today's substrate processing systems, it is alltoo easy to incorrectly install a part, to install the wrong part for agiven system and/or application, and/or to miss a required maintenancetask on a part. As substrate processing systems become more complex, theproblems are exacerbated.

In view of the foregoing, a different approach to managing substrateprocessing system components is required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates, in one embodiment, to a method of componentmanagement in a substrate processing system. The substrate processingsystem has a set of components, at least a plurality of components ofthe set of components being designated to be smart components, eachcomponent of the plurality of components having an intelligent componentenhancement (ICE). The method includes querying the plurality ofcomponents to request their respective unique identification data fromtheir respective ICEs. The method further includes receiving uniqueidentification data from the plurality of components if any of theplurality of components responds to the querying. The methodadditionally includes flagging the first component for corrective actionif a first component of the plurality of components fails to providefirst component unique identification data when the first componentidentification data is expected.

In another embodiment, the invention relates to a method of componentmanagement in a substrate processing system. The substrate processingsystem has a set of components, at least a plurality of components ofthe set of components being designated to be smart components, eachcomponent of the plurality of components having an intelligent componentenhancement (ICE). The method includes querying, via a transducer, afirst component of the plurality of components to receive firstcharacterizing data from an ICE associated with the smart component. Themethod also includes receiving, via the transducer, the firstcharacterizing data. The method additionally includes comparing thecharacterizing data with acceptable specification data for the smartcomponent. If the first characterizing data fails to meet acceptablespecification data for the smart component, the method includeselectronically flagging the first component for corrective action.

In yet another embodiment, the invention relates to a method ofcomponent management in a substrate processing system. The substrateprocessing system has a set of components, at least a plurality ofcomponents of the set of components being designated to be smartcomponents, each component of the plurality of components having anintelligent component enhancement (ICE). The method includes querying,via a transducer, a first component of the plurality of components toobtain first calibration data. The first calibration data is obtainedusing one of a first technique and a second technique. The firsttechnique involves obtaining the first calibration data from an ICEassociated with the first component. The second technique involvesobtaining unique identifying data from the ICE and employing the uniqueidentifying data to obtain the first calibration data from a data storeexternal to the first component. The method additionally includesemploying the first calibration data in one of installing the substrateprocessing system and maintaining the substrate processing system.

These and other features of the present invention will be described inmore detail below in the detailed description of the invention and inconjunction with the following figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by wayof limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in whichlike reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which:

FIG. 1A illustrates, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention, a method for managing components utilizing data from smartcomponents.

FIG. 1B illustrates, in accordance with another embodiment of thepresent invention, a method for managing components utilizing data fromsmart components.

FIG. 2 illustrates, in accordance with another embodiment of the presentinvention, a method for managing components utilizing data from smartcomponents.

FIG. 3 illustrates, in accordance with another embodiment of the presentinvention, a method for managing components utilizing data from smartcomponents.

FIG. 4 illustrates, in accordance with another embodiment of the presentinvention, a method for managing components utilizing data from smartcomponents.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will now be described in detail with reference toa few preferred embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. In the following description, numerous specific details areset forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the presentinvention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, thatthe present invention may be practiced without some or all of thesespecific details. In other instances, well known process steps and/orstructures have not been described in detail in order to notunnecessarily obscure the present invention.

The invention relates, in one embodiment, to smart components configuredfor use in a substrate processing environment and techniques forleveraging the smart components to improve individual components,subsystems and system management. To elaborate, a smart componentincorporates at minimum an Intelligent Component Enhancement (ICE) thatat least uniquely identifies the component. As the term is employedherein, a smart component may represent an indivisible elemental part(such as a single solid piece of cast aluminum alloy) or a subsystem(such as an RF power supply).

A smart component may be based on any component that is a part of thesubstrate processing system, whether or not such component is in directcontact with the reactive gas, liquid or plasma. For example, acomponent of a plasma processing system may include the gas injector,the gas injection system, the plasma chamber, the dielectric window forplasma coupling, the liner, the focus ring or other edge ring oruniformity ring(s), the chuck assembly, the chuck itself, chucksupporting component(s), the endpoint detection system and/or otherdiagnostic system(s), the RF power supply, or the match network, etc. Itis not necessary that all components in a substrate processing be smartcomponents. A mix of smart components and conventional components (i.e.,those without the ICE) can co-exist on a given system.

Generally speaking, each smart component can be uniquely identified byits ICE. Preferably, the ICE contains data that can be machine readablealthough the invention does not exclude the combination ofhuman-readable ICE and techniques for utilizing such human-readable ICEin combination with external data in order to improve the installation,operation, and maintenance of substrate processing systems. Examples ofhuman-readable ICEs include alphanumerics or other visually-perceptiblesymbols etched, attached, painted, or engraved into the smartcomponents.

If the ICE is machine-readable, the data pertaining the smart componentmay be manually or automatically read. For example, if the ICE is a barcode, manual reading may include using a hand-held bar code reader toread the bar code. The same bar code may of course be automatically readif the scanning of the bar code can be accomplished without humanintervention. Although bar codes are employed as an example, anyvisually, electronically, electromagnetically, optically, chemically, oraudibly perceptible mechanism may be employed by the ICE. Such examplesinclude shapes or patterns to be recognized, various forms of tagging orpainting with isotopes or chemicals to be detected chemically or viaelectromagnetic detection arrangements. Automatic reading may employtechnologies such as RFID, which allows the smart component to beidentified without requiring contact or line-of-sight reading and/orwriting.

RFID is in fact one of the preferred ICE enabling technologies.Generally capable of transmitting data without direct physical contactor line of sight in the electromagnetic spectrum, RFID operates similarto bar code but with far greater capability. An example RFID system mayrequire the following components: transponder (or tag), reader/writer(interrogator), antenna, and host computer.

The transponder is part of the system and includes a small electroniccircuit preferably with an attached silicon chip. RFID tags may bepowered and may be classified as active or passive. Some active tagshave an internal battery that allows for long-read ranges. They aretypically read/write capable and may often be seen in toll collectionapplications for example. Passive tags do not have a battery and arepowered by a separate external source typically the interrogator.

A typical reader generally contains an antenna to transmit informationto the tag as well as receive it from the tag. The size and form of theantenna may be dependent on the specific application as well asfrequency chosen. It typically houses a decoder and RF module as well asthe antenna. Readers can be fixed, i.e. mounted, or portable such as ahandheld depending on the application.

Furthermore, where appropriate the ICE is configured to be resistant tothe corrosive and/or destructive effects of the environment to which thesmart component is subjected. Thus an ICE in a plasma environment wouldbe constructed such that it is substantially resistant to plasma etchingor deposition, as well as resistant to being damaged by the RF energyassociated with plasma generation and/or the high temperatureenvironment if such exposure is required of the smart component.Likewise, an ICE in a chemical etch environment for example would besubstantially resistant to the chemical employed in the etching process.Preferably, the ICE along with any supporting or shielding structure isconfigured to minimize impact on the substrate processing process (e.g.,by minimizing contamination and/or impact to process parameters)

To render an ICE more resistant to damage, the ICE or a portion thereofmay be embedded within the smart component so that the ICE or thevulnerable portion thereof is not physically exposed. For data transfer,such component-embedded ICE may rely on non line-of-sight techniques.Alternatively, the ICE or part thereof may be shielded by an appropriateshield (formed from a suitable material such as metal, dielectric,ceramic, plastic, etc.). The shield or portions thereof may be opticallytransparent, permitting the use of line-of-sight data transfertechniques that requires some degree of optical transparency. Even whenthe shield is not optically transparent, if the shield is designed withan appropriate skin depth, or a dielectric boundary is provided theshield can transmit sufficient electro-magnetic signal such as to allowRFIDs or other non-contact, non line-of-sight techniques still to beemployed for data transmission. The human operator can also remove theshield for data transfer but it is preferable that the ICE is configuredfor automatic data transfer without human intervention.

So far, ICEs are discussed as static devices whose data areunchangeable. However, embodiments of the invention also includeprogrammable ICEs, which allow data to be written into the ICEs. To anextent, all ICEs need to be written once (e.g., at the factory) at whichtime the unique identification data is initially assigned to thecomponent. If the data in these ICEs cannot be changed in the field,these ICEs are referred to herein as static ICEs.

Programmable ICEs differ from static ICEs in that data can be writteninto programmable ICEs in the field. Generally speaking, theprogrammable ICEs include on-board memory to store additional data. Theamount of memory may be as little as a few bytes to store only theunique identifying data, or may be sufficiently extensive to, forexample, log data collected during process runs. The memory may besemiconductor-based, or may be optical or opto-electromagnetic based,for example.

As mentioned, the data may be written once (e.g., at the factory) andunchangeable. The data may alternatively or additionally be unalterablywritten such that old data cannot be erased. Such unalterably writtendata facilitates auditing. The data in the ICEs may additionally oralternatively be written and rewritten over and over. In some cases, itmay be appropriate to include more than one type of memory or chip orcircuit in the ICE. Further, it is preferable in some cases that strongsecurity arrangements (such as encryption and/or password) exist in theICEs to protect the data from tampering and/or unauthorized access. Thisaspect will be apparent when the data is leveraged using techniquesdiscussed later herein for components and/or system management.

The data in the ICEs may be written by external devices, i.e., devicesother than the smart component associated with the ICE. For example, ahost computer or the substrate processing system controller may write tothe ICEs of the various parts. Alternatively or additionally, an ICE mayinclude probes to obtain data for writing into its own ICE. For example,a chuck may include a temperature probe to write temperate data into itsICE. As another example, a match network may include a current probe torecord the amount of current flowed into the substrate processingsystem. During a substrate processing cycle, data may be logged into theICE of a smart component, in one embodiment, or may be provided by theICE to another device (e.g., another smart component, the host computer,or the substrate processing system controller), in another embodiment.

Data storage in the ICE, as well as data transfers to and from the ICE,is preferably accomplished with a high degree of security. Digitalsignature, DES, and other security techniques may be employed to achievedata security.

ICEs that are exposed to the plasma environment and yet need to transferdata during plasma processing may be designed such that their read/writeRF frequencies are outside of the frequency range of the RF signalemployed for substrate processing. For example, many substrateprocessing systems employ 2 MHz, 13.56 MHz, or 27 MHz RF signal foretching applications. By avoiding such frequency ranges, data transfermay be accomplished more reliably and/or efficiently. Alternatively, theICE may employ any frequency for data communication but may need to waituntil plasma processing is completed before transmitting its data to therecipient device, providing only that the data communication circuitrysurvives any RF or other power applied during the actual processexecution.

In an embodiment, the unique identification data of the ICE is employedto facilitate accessing external data stores (which may be disposed withthe substrate processing system or may be accessible via a network suchas a Local Area Network, a Wide-Area Network or the Internet). The useof such counterpart external data stores vastly improves the usefulnessof such unique identifying data, especially if the ICEs cannot store alarge amount of information. The unique identifying data may beemployed, in one embodiment, as an index to determine the electrical,mechanical, and/or material composition data pertaining to the smartcomponent. The history of the smart component (including for example itsmanufacturing data, its deployment data, its usage data, and the like),its calibration data, its specification, etc., may also be obtained bysearching such external data stores using the unique identifying data asan index.

The database may be maintained by, for example, the manufacturer of thesubstrate processing system or by a distributor or another organizationand accessible via a data network. Generally speaking, the external datastore is preferably stored in a manner so as to protect the confidentialinformation of individual owners or operators of substrate processingsystems. Available data security techniques may be employed to protectthe confidentiality.

As an example of a smart component-based management technique, the ICEdata can be employed to ascertain in real time or near real time whethera component is a certified component. This aspect of the invention isillustrated by FIGS. 1A and 1B. By querying (e.g., at installation time,at system startup time, or any other random time) the smart componentfor its unique identification data, the substrate processing system or ahost computer may be able to determine whether the component is designedfor a particular proposed application (e.g., a particular etch ordeposition process). The substrate processing system or host computermay be endowed with a database containing data pertaining to theproposed application and the components that would be suitable, or suchdatabase may be accessible via a computer network. The substrateprocessing system or host computer may also be able to determine, simplyby querying the smart component (e.g., FIG. 1A: 102-104, FIG. 1B:152-154), whether the smart component is certified in the sense that itis manufactured in accordance with the manufacturer's specification orunder proper authorization. If a component is found not to be properlycertified (based on the received unique identification data, thatcomponent may be electronically flagged (e.g., flagged in a database)for corrective action (e.g., FIG. 1A: 110, FIG. 1B: 160).

As another example of a smart component-based management technique, thecorrelation between the queried unique identification data and theexternal data store may be utilized to prevent or take correctiveactions in situations wherein an out-of-date component or, for example,a worn-out component that should have been discarded is impermissiblyinstalled and used. Of course if the component is a counterfeitcomponent or a non-certified component, its identification data, or thelack thereof, (e.g., FIG. 1A: 106, FIG. 1B: 156) would reveal such acounterfeit attempt or an attempt to use a non-certified component. Evenif the unique identification data is replicated, a central database maybe able to detect that the same unique identification data is beingdetected in two different substrate processing system and/or in twogeographically separate locations and to generate an appropriate alert.

If the received unique identification data is as expected, furthersystem installation and/or power-up and/or substrate processing may beallowed to proceed (e.g., FIG. 1: 108, FIG. 1B: 158).

As another example, the ICE may include component characterizing data(which includes historical data describing one or more of the componentusage pattern up to date, the calibration data, the data pertaining toapplications that employed the smart component, and/or the like). Thecomponent characterizing data may then be queried (e.g., FIG. 2,202-204) and compared against some acceptable specification data (e.g.,FIG. 2: 206). If the comparison reveals that the smart component is nolonger within specification for use (e.g., too old, too worn out, havingbeen through too many processing cycles, out-of-date, etc.), the smartcomponent may be electronically flagged (e.g., flagged in a database)for corrective action (e.g., FIG. 2: 210). Note that the acceptablespecification data for the smart component and the logic for thecomparison may reside with the smart component itself, which allows thesmart component to essentially self-diagnose. Alternatively oradditionally, the acceptable specification data may reside in anexternal database. If the received component characterizing data issatisfactory, further system installation and/or power-up and/orsubstrate processing may be allowed to proceed (e.g., FIG. 2: 208).

As mentioned, calibration data (i.e., the initial calibration dataand/or the historical calibration data logged over time) for a componentmay also be stored. Such calibration data may be stored on board in theICE or such calibration data may be stored in an external database. Thestored initial calibration data (which may be obtained during factorytesting) may be queried (e.g., FIG. 3: 302) and employed to facilitatecalibration of the component upon installation (e.g., FIG. 3: 304). Thestored historical calibration data may be employed to determine if acomponent is likely to fail in the near future, for example. In anembodiment, if the historical calibration data shows significant changesrecently, such a pattern may indicate that the part is likely to fail inthe near future. As another example, the comparison between the currentcalibration value and the initial calibration value for a component mayprovide information regarding the state of the component. As yet anotherexample, a pattern of changes in the calibration data of one componentmay indicate a problem with another part or portion of the system. Byutilizing the stored calibration data, proactive component and/or systemmaintenance may be performed before the failure actually occurs.

Generally speaking, when the queried data from a smart component revealsthat the component should not be used, at least two actions areavailable in the alternative. Firstly, the system may be disabled suchthat operation with the unsuitable component is not allowed. Second, thesystem may alternatively be allowed to operate (after a warning isprovided, in an embodiment) but data is logged in order to provide proofthat the owner assumed the risk of damage since he continued to use thesystem after being warned. Such proof helps the legitimate systemmanufacturer to avoid, for example, having to undertake warranty repairwork on systems that are damaged from using unsuitable components.

The unique identifying data may also be employed during installation,configuration, or power-up to determine whether a component or allcomponents of the substrate processing system are appropriate for use inthe proposed application. Note that individual components may, inisolation, be certified and/or deemed suitable for use in a givenapplication while a set of otherwise certified components installedtogether may conflict with one another and/or create conditions thatdegrade performance when employed together for another application. Byautomatically querying unique identification data from individual smartcomponents (e.g., FIG. 4: 402-404) and employing such queried data incombination with an expert database hosted with the substrate processingsystem or via a network, such proactive approach may be undertaken toensure that the substrate processing system is properly or optimallyconfigured for executing the proposed application (e.g., FIG. 4: 406)before a single substrate is processed (e.g., FIG. 4: 408).

If one or more components are found to be unsuitable for a particularapplication, a recommendation may be provided to the system owner oroperator to suggest a change to the components and/or the processrecipe, or the substrate processing system may cause the smartcomponents, if they have configuration capabilities, to be configuredsuch that the application can be more optimally performed. Examplesinclude causing a match network to have a different impedance value, forexample. In this manner, the number of substrates wasted due toincorrectly configured substrate processing systems is substantiallyreduced.

The ability to automatically query smart component data from smartcomponents may also be used to proactively maintain substrate processingsystems, for example. If an engineer working for the substrate systemmanufacturer believes that a particular batch of smart components isdefective, he may be able to employ a computer network to query thedeployed systems (which may be spread through out a manufacturing siteor associated with different owners across continents) to ascertainwhether they contain such a component. If the smart components respond,the engineer may be able to proactively request that the components bechanged before system damage can occur.

The ICE may also include historical data regarding usage conditions,other components that it is installed along with in a system, and/ordata regarding the applications. The historical data may be stored withthe smart component itself or may be stored in an external data storethat can be accessed using the ICE's unique identification data as asearch key. The data may be collected by the host computer and/or thesubstrate processing system and downloaded into a smart component's ICE.The data may also be collected by the probes provided with the smartcomponent and/or with the ICE. Data collection may be performed at alltimes (at predefined or configurable intervals), or the data collectioncapability may be user-configurable and may commence only whenrequested. The collected historical data may be uploaded as the data iscollected, or the smart component may wait until an appropriate time(e.g., after the plasma cycle is complete or upon request) to upload thedata.

This historical data may be employed to determine whether a smartcomponent is or remains suitable for use in a particular system, incombination with other components in a given system, and/or with aparticular application. The historical data may include not only thecomponent identification data but also its calibration data, its usagerecords (e.g., number of hours in the field), and/or application data(e.g., since some applications may cause a higher degree of wearrelative to other applications). The historical data is particularlyuseful for maintenance in that such data may allow the owner and/oroperator to be proactive in component replacement and/or cleaning and/orany other maintenance task. In an embodiment, a replacement componentcan be automatically ordered by appropriate software-driven businesslogic if the historical data suggests that the component needs to bereplaced in the near future. The fact that the historical data isautomatically collected and may be employed to automatically triggermaintenance actions not only renders proactive maintenance more feasiblebut may also substantially reduce the maintenance record keeping burden,as well as reduce the chance for tracking errors.

In an embodiment, the historical data may be employed to project whetherthe smart component is suitable for a proposed production run. Suppose asmart component is near the end of its useful life. Its historical datamay allow an engineer to determine whether there is sufficient usefullife remaining to undertake the proposed production run, or whether thecomponent should be replaced before the production run begins. Note thatsince the smart component has its own historical data regarding usageconditions, usage patterns, past applications, etc., the self-assessmentof remaining useful life may be made with a higher degree of accuracy.In this manner, the useful life of a component is maximized.Alternatively, the historical data may allow the system to calibrateand/or modify other components and/or other process parameters tocompensate, creating a more suitable environment for achieving favorableprocess results for a given component condition.

The historical data from one or more components in a system may alsoallow an engineer to more precisely ascertain the operating condition ata point in time in the past. Such forensic reconstruction of the pastmay be of immense help in pin-pointing the cause of failure either tothe smart component which records the data or to any other component inthe system. If an owner uses a uncertified component (e.g., anunsuitable or unapproved component) and such use causes a change in theoperating conditions that contribute to the failure, the historical dataqueried from the smart components may allow the owner to pinpoint thecause of the failure, and/or furnish the innocent system manufacturerwith exculpatory forensic evidence to allow the manufacturer to avoidhaving to perform unpaid warranty work on a system that breaks due tothe unauthorized use of an improper component.

The following describes an exemplar scenario wherein smart componentsand inventive componentry management techniques substantially improvethe installation, operation, and maintenance of a substrate processingsystem. When initially installed, the system may query its smartcomponents and compare the data obtained regarding both the identity ofthe smart components and the component calibration parameters todetermine whether the components are authorized and/or are suitable foruse individually or together in the present system (e.g., whether thecomponents will conflict with one another).

Once the system is ascertained to be properly installed (possibly bycomparing the queried data from the smart components with data from areference database), the queried data from the smart components may beautomatically obtained and stored (at the individual smart componentsand/or with a centralized database) for historical record keeping sothat subsequent data sets queried from the smart components of thesystem may be compared with this historical dataset for maintenanceand/or diagnostic purposes.

At power up, the system may self-identify and/or may query the parts forthe unique identifying data and any needed calibration and/or historicaland/or collected environmental data in order to perform aself-diagnostic, and also to set any necessary parametric variablesrelating to desired calibration and compensation settings. This data mayallow the system to determine whether a part is still withinspecification to perform for example the proposed etches and/ordepositions.

If the application data (e.g., recipe) is available, the ICE data fromthe smart components of the system may be employed to ascertain whetherthe system, as a collective whole or as a collection of parts workingtogether, is optimally configured to performed the proposed application.Note that the self-diagnostic test and this test for applicationsuitability may be perform simultaneously. The system may also performself-test on various movable or active parts, such as the mass flowcontrollers, the RF supply systems, etc.

Note that if a component is found to be unsuitable for use in the systemand/or to perform the proposed application, the system may be disabledto prevent it from running and damaging itself. If the risk of damage isslight, the owner may be allowed to run the system with the componentdeemed to be unsuitable but with warnings clearly given and data logged(preferably in a form that is resistant to tampering) in order toprevent an unscrupulous user from later obtaining free warranty serviceand/or any other concessions from the legitimate system vendor when thesubstrate processing system eventually breaks down due to the use of aninappropriate component.

If an abnormal condition is encountered by one of the smart componentsduring installation or during operation, the collected environmentaldata may cause an alarm to sound. The data is logged and optionallytransmitted to the system manufacturer for quality control purposes. Asmentioned, this data is preferably kept in a secure manner so that thedata is resistant to tampering or unauthorized access.

As can be appreciated from the foregoing, the invention substantiallyimproves componentry and system management with respect to theinstallation, operation, and maintenance of a substrate processingsystem. By endowing the parts of the substrate processing system withunique identification data and preferably with uniquely identificationdata that can be automatically read by a suitable transducer, thequeried data may then be employed by inventive componentry managementtechniques in order to improve installation accuracy and to improve thelikelihood that parts in the system are optimized to run the proposedapplication.

The unique identifying data, in combination with disclosed smartcomponent-based management techniques, may substantially eliminate thechance that the use of counterfeit and/or inferior substitutes goundetected in a substrate processing system. The historical data storedon the parts contributes to a reduction in fraudulent warranty claimsand helps engineers recreate the operating conditions of any point intime in the past to more accurately tune the substrate processing systemand/or pinpoint the source of any failure. The correlation between datastored on the parts with external data stores greatly expands theusefulness of the ICE as a tool for improving substrate processingsystem installation, operation, and maintenance.

Thus, while this invention has been described in terms of severalpreferred embodiments, there are alterations, permutations, andequivalents which fall within the scope of this invention. For example,although the specific example is discussed in the context of a plasmaprocessing system in general and a plasma etch system in particular, theinvention may also apply to other substrate processing systems such aschemical vapor deposition (CVD) systems, plasma-enhanced chemical vapordeposition (PECVD) systems, physical vapor deposition (PVD) systems,rapid thermal processing (RTP) systems, lithography systems, etc. Itshould also be noted that there are many alternative ways ofimplementing the methods and apparatuses of the present invention. It istherefore intended that the following appended claims be interpreted asincluding all such alterations, permutations, and equivalents as fallwithin the true spirit and scope of the present invention.

1. In a substrate processing system having a set of components, at leasta plurality of components of said set of components being designated tobe smart components, each component of said plurality of componentshaving an intelligent component enhancement (ICE), a method of componentmanagement, comprising: querying said plurality of components to requesttheir respective unique identification data from their respective ICEs;receiving unique identification data from said plurality of componentsif any of said plurality of components responds to said querying; and ifa first component of said plurality of components fails to provide firstcomponent unique identification data when said first componentidentification data is expected, flagging said first component forcorrective action.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said correctiveaction includes disabling said substrate processing system to preventsaid substrate processing system from executing a substrate processingapplication.
 3. The method of claim 2 wherein said querying and saidreceiving are accomplished without human intervention.
 4. The method ofclaim 1 wherein said corrective action includes providing a notificationpertaining to a failure of said first component to respond to saidquerying to one of an operator of said substrate processing system and amanufacturer of said substrate processing system.
 5. The method of claim4 wherein said notification is sent via at least one of the Internet, aLocal Area Network, and a Wide Area Network.
 6. The method of claim 5wherein said corrective action includes providing a notificationpertaining to a failure of said first component to respond to saidquerying to an operator of said substrate processing system andpermitting said operator to execute a substrate processing applicationafter said operator consents to assume a risk associated with executingsaid substrate processing system in view of said first component failingto respond to said querying.
 7. The method of claim 6 further comprisinglogging data evidencing said operator consenting to assume said riskprior to permitting said operator to execute said substrate processingapplication.
 8. The method of claim 7 further comprising collecting andlogging process-related data during said substrate processingapplication.
 9. The method of claim 8 wherein said logging is performedby one of said plurality of components.
 10. The method of claim 1further comprising comparing second unique identification data from asecond component of said plurality of components with expected secondcomponent identification data in a database; and if said secondcomponent unique identification data does not match said expected secondcomponent identification data, flagging said second component forcorrective action.
 11. The method of claim 10 wherein said correctiveaction includes disabling said substrate processing system to preventsaid substrate processing system from executing a substrate processingapplication.
 12. The method of claim 10 wherein said querying and saidreceiving are accomplished without human intervention.
 13. The method ofclaim 12 wherein said corrective action includes providing anotification pertaining to a failure of said first component to respondto said querying to one of an operator of said substrate processingsystem and a manufacturer of said substrate processing system.
 14. Themethod of claim 4 wherein said notification is sent via at least one ofthe Internet, a Local Area Network, and a Wide Area Network.
 15. Themethod of claim 12 wherein wherein said corrective action includesproviding a notification pertaining to a failure of said first componentto respond to said querying to an operator of said substrate processingsystem and permitting said operator to execute a substrate processingapplication after said operator consents to assume a risk associatedwith executing said substrate processing system in view of said firstcomponent failing to respond to said querying.
 16. The method of claim15 further comprising logging data evidencing said operator consentingto assume said risk prior to permitting said operator to execute saidsubstrate processing application.
 17. The method of claim 16 furthercomprising collecting and logging process-related data during saidsubstrate processing application.
 18. The method of claim 17 whereinsaid logging is performed by one of said plurality of components usingits ICE.
 19. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one component ofsaid set of components is not designated a smart component having saidICE, said at least one component not being a member of said plurality ofcomponents.
 20. The method of claim 1 wherein a number of components insaid plurality of components equals a number of components in said setof components.
 21. In a substrate processing system having a set ofcomponents, at least a plurality of components of said set of componentsbeing designated to be smart components, each component of saidplurality of components having an intelligent component enhancement(ICE), a method component management, comprising: querying, via atransducer, a first component of said plurality of components to receivefirst characterizing data from an ICE associated with said smartcomponent; receiving, via said transducer, said first characterizingdata; comparing said characterizing data with acceptable specificationdata for said smart component; and if said first characterizing datafails to meet acceptable specification data for said smart component,electronically flagging said first component for corrective action. 22.The method of claim 21 wherein said corrective action includeselectronically disabling said substrate processing system to preventsaid substrate processing system from executing a substrate processingapplication.
 23. The method of claim 21 wherein said corrective actionincludes automatically ordering, employing computer business logic, areplacement for said first component.
 24. The method of claim 22 whereinsaid querying and said receiving are accomplished using acomputer-implemented approach without human intervention.
 25. The methodof claim 21 wherein said corrective action includes providing anotification pertaining to a failure of said first component to respondto said querying to one of an operator of said substrate processingsystem and a manufacturer of said substrate processing system.
 26. Themethod of claim 4 wherein said notification is sent via at least one ofthe Internet, a Local Area Network, and a Wide Area Network.
 27. Themethod of claim 21 wherein said corrective action includes providing anotification pertaining to a failure of said first component to respondto said querying to an operator of said substrate processing system andpermitting said operator to execute a substrate processing applicationafter said operator consents to assume a risk associated with executingsaid substrate processing application in view of said first componentfailing to respond to said querying.
 28. The method of claim 26 furthercomprising logging data evidencing said operator consenting to assumesaid risk prior to permitting said operator to execute said substrateprocessing application.
 29. The method of claim 28 further comprisingcollecting and logging process-related data during said substrateprocessing application.
 30. The method of claim 29 wherein said loggingis performed by one of said plurality of components.
 31. The method ofclaim 21 wherein said substrate processing system represents a plasmaprocessing system.
 32. The method of claim 21 wherein said substrateprocessing system represents a chemical-mechanical polish (CMP) system.33. The method of claim 21 wherein said substrate processing systemrepresents one of a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) system, aplasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) system, a physicalvapor deposition (PVD) system, a rapid thermal processing system (RTP),and a lithography system.
 34. The method of claim 21 wherein saidquerying is performed upon powering up of said substrate processingsystem prior to processing a substrate.
 35. The method of claim 21wherein said first characterizing data is deemed to have failed to meetsaid acceptable specification data if said comparing reveals that saidfirst component is out of date.
 36. The method of claim 21 wherein saidfirst characterizing data is deemed to have failed to meet saidacceptable specification data if said comparing reveals that said firstcomponent has been in use for a greater time duration than acceptable.37. The method of claim 21 wherein said first characterizing data isdeemed to have failed to meet said acceptable specification data if saidcomparing reveals that said first component has been in use for agreater number of processing cycles than acceptable.
 38. The method ofclaim 21 wherein said first characterizing data is deemed to have failedto meet said acceptable specification data if said comparing revealsthat said first component is not installed in the expected substrateprocessing system.
 39. In a substrate processing system having a set ofcomponents, at least a plurality of components of said set of componentsbeing designated to be smart components, each component of saidplurality of components having an intelligent component enhancement(ICE), a method of component managment, comprising: querying, via atransducer, a first component of said plurality of components to obtainfirst calibration data, said first calibration data being obtained usingone of a first technique and a second technique, said first techniqueinvolving obtaining said first calibration data from an ICE associatedwith said first component, said second technique involving obtainingunique identifying data from said ICE and employing said uniqueidentifying data to obtain said first calibration data from a data storeexternal to said first component; employing said first calibration datain one of installing said substrate processing system and maintainingsaid substrate processing system.
 40. The method of claim 39 whereinsaid first calibration data is employed for said installing saidsubstrate processing system, said first calibration data representscalibration data that is specified for said first component upon initialinstallation of said substrate processing system.
 41. The method ofclaim 39 wherein said first calibration data is employed for saidmaintaining said plasma processing system, said first calibration datarepresenting a set of historical calibration data values for said firstcomponent.
 42. The method of claim 39 wherein said first calibrationdata is employed to set parametric variables to optimize the processperformance of said plasma processing system.
 43. The method of claim 41wherein said maintaining includes ascertaining when said first componentis to be replaced.
 44. The method of claim 41 wherein said maintainingincludes ascertaining a state of said first component.
 45. The method ofclaim 41 wherein said maintaining includes ascertaining a problemcondition with one of said first component and another component in saidsubstrate processing system.
 46. The method of claim 41 includingelectronically flagging said first component for corrective action ifsaid first calibration data reveals that said first component requiresmaintenance.
 47. The method of claim 46 wherein said corrective actionincludes electronically disabling said substrate processing system toprevent said substrate processing system from executing a substrateprocessing application.
 48. The method of claim 46 wherein saidcorrective action includes providing a notification pertaining to amaintenance need of said first component to one of an operator of saidsubstrate processing system and a manufacturer of said substrateprocessing system.
 49. The method of claim 48 wherein said notificationis sent via the Internet.
 50. The method of claim 46 wherein saidcorrective action includes providing a notification pertaining to amaintenance need of said first component to one of an operator of saidsubstrate processing system and permitting said operator to execute asubstrate processing application after said operator consents to assumea risk associated with executing said substrate processing applicationin view of said notification.
 51. The method of claim 50 furthercomprising logging data evidencing said operator consenting to assumesaid risk prior to permitting said operator to execute said substrateprocessing application.
 52. The method of claim 39 wherein saidsubstrate processing system represents a plasma processing system. 53.The method of claim 39 wherein said substrate processing systemrepresents a chemical-mechanical polish (CMP) system.
 54. The method ofclaim 39 wherein said substrate processing system represents one of achemical vapor deposition (CVD) system, a plasma-enhanced chemical vapordeposition (PECVD) system, a physical vapor deposition (PVD) system, arapid thermal processing system (RTP), and a Lithography system.
 55. Themethod of claim 39 wherein said querying is performed upon powering upof said substrate processing system prior to processing a substrate. 56.In a substrate processing system having a set of components, at least aplurality of components of said set of components being designated to besmart components, each component of said plurality of components havingan intelligent component enhancement (ICE), a method of componentmanagement, comprising: querying a first component of said plurality ofcomponents to obtain first characterizing data, said firstcharacterizing data being obtained using one of a first technique and asecond technique, said first technique involving obtaining said firstcharacterizing data from an ICE associated with said first component,said second technique involving obtaining first unique identifying datafrom said ICE associated with said first component and employing saidfirst unique identifying data to obtain said first characterizing datafrom a data store external to said first component; querying a secondcomponent of said plurality of components to obtain secondcharacterizing data, said second characterizing data being obtainedusing one of a third technique and a fourth technique, said thirdtechnique involving obtaining said second characterizing data from anICE associated with said second component, said fourth techniqueinvolving obtaining second unique identifying data from said ICEassociated with said second component and employing said second uniqueidentifying data to obtain said second characterizing data from saiddata store; and ascertaining, employing said first characterizing dataand said second characterizing data whether a combination of said firstcharacterizing data and said second characterizing data renders saidsubstrate processing system suitable for executing a proposed substrateprocessing application.
 57. The method of claim 56 wherein said firstcharacterizing data is obtained using said first technique and whereinsaid second characterizing data is obtained using said third technique,said first characterizing data representing data that uniquelyidentifies said first component, said second characterizing datarepresenting data that uniquely identifies said second component. 58.The method of claim 56 wherein said first characterizing data isobtained using said first technique and wherein said secondcharacterizing data is obtained using said third technique, said firstcharacterizing data representing historical performance data associatedwith said first component, said second characterizing historicalperformance data associated with said second component.
 59. The methodof claim 58 including electronically disabling said substrate processingsystem to prevent said substrate processing system from executing asubstrate processing application if said combination of said firstcharacterizing data and said second characterizing data renders saidsubstrate processing system unsuitable for executing said proposedsubstrate processing application.
 60. The method of claim 56 whereinsaid first characterizing data is obtained using said second techniqueand wherein said second characterizing data is obtained using saidfourth technique, said first characterizing data representing historicalperformance data associated with said first component, said secondcharacterizing historical performance data associated with said secondcomponent.
 61. The method of claim 60 including electronically disablingsaid substrate processing system to prevent said substrate processingsystem from executing a substrate processing application if saidcombination of said first characterizing data and said secondcharacterizing data renders said substrate processing system unsuitablefor executing said proposed substrate processing application.
 62. Themethod of claim 60 including making a recommendation, if saidcombination of said first characterizing data and said secondcharacterizing data renders said substrate processing system unsuitablefor executing said proposed substrate processing application, to anoperator of said substrate processing system to make a change to one ofsaid first component, said second component, or a process recipe inorder to render said substrate processing system suitable for executingsaid proposed substrate processing application.
 63. The method of claim60 including causing an adjustment to be made, if said combination ofsaid first characterizing data and said second characterizing datarenders said substrate processing system unsuitable for executing saidproposed substrate processing application, with one of said firstcomponent, said second component, or a process recipe in order to rendersaid substrate processing system suitable for executing said proposedsubstrate processing application.
 64. The method of claim 56 whereinsaid substrate processing system represents a plasma processing system.65. The method of claim 56 wherein said substrate processing systemrepresents a chemical-mechanical polish (CMP) system.
 66. The method ofclaim 21 wherein said substrate processing system represents one of achemical vapor deposition (CVD) system, a plasma-enhanced chemical vapordeposition (PECVD) system, a physical vapor deposition (PVD) system, arapid thermal processing system (RTP), and a Lithography system.